Once You've Moved
by lamatikah
Summary: Like he said: "Once you moved, everything changes." But you never assume it will happen to you. Kaiora Roxine warning: minor yaoi
1. C1: trams & trains

**O**nc_e_ **Y**ou'v_e_ **M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r_ **_1_**

**T**rams **a**n_d_ **T**rain_s_

_Finally,_ she thought, _Finally, I'm going to see them again, after all these years! It's going to be so great! I can't wait!_

She danced round the corner and jumped onto the nearest tram to take her to the train station. From there, she'd take yet another tram to get to school.

She knew exactly where she was going; all the shortcuts; who to look out for; where people live; where people wait. She knew everything about the kids of Twilight Town. Or else she _had_ known.

She didn't know if everything was still in place, whether the shortcuts had been boarded over, who was there, whether people still lived there, whether they still waited there. But nonetheless, Kairi marched onwards.

She boarded the tram, and sat down on one of the little seats placed inside. Her stomach squirmed inside of her as she fumbled with her fingers, not sure about anything. But, she was sure on one thing: she couldn't wait to see her old friends.

The tram seemed to be empty which Kairi thought was a little odd, as when she was little the tram would be stock full of students going to school. But she supposed that they walked now, or they had all coincidentally missed it, or they were all sick, or it was 'Walk to School' week.

As the tram came to a halt outside her stop, she turned to the front of it to pay the driver, but found that there was no driver there, instead a sign read:

'**THIS TRAM IS ONE OF THE MANY TRAMS DONATED BY THE _HOLLOW BASTION RESTORATION COMMITTEE_ AFTER THEY REDESIGNED HOLLOW BASTION. THESE TRAMS HAVE COMPUTER CHIPS IN THEM WHICH TELL THEM WHERE TO GO. THIS MEANS THAT IT IS FREE TO RIDE ON ANY ONE OF OUR TRAMS.**'

Kairi laughed, _How odd_.

She skipped on her short walk, now, to the train station. There, she bought a ticket and waited for the train to arrive.

She could see other students there, all waiting boredly for the train to arrive. She knew that only one of her old friends would get on at this train, simply because he lived on the same side of town as her. All the others were on the same side as the school was.

She giggled, remembering when they were younger and her friend would make sure no one pushed her around on the train. They were like brother and sister, and in some aspects, looked like it.

She hoped no one would laugh at her hair like they had done in the place they had just moved away from.

She had been part of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, and she could remember Yuffie telling her that they were going to send all the old trams to some random places, and keep the good ones for themselves. Kairi slowly started to regret raising her hand in agreement.

"Dammit..." she muttered, "Stupid Yuffie..."

She immediately regretted this, and flicked out her phone. It was not very 'flashy' or expensive. Just something she could use as a communication device. She pressed for the 'Menu' then 'Messages' then 'Write Message'. Her message was:

_Hi Yuff! You having fun in HB? Can't wait to see my old friends. Tell everyone I love them and they're missed! Kai xx_

She smirked, sent the message and turned her phone off to get on the train. As the train started to leave, Kairi wondered where her friend was. Maybe he was sick. Maybe he had moved too. Or maybe he was dead. Maybe all her friends were dead. Even the ones in Hollow Bastion, and she'd never get a text back from Yuffie. And maybe Leon'd never realised that Yuffie was defiantly the girl for him, and Cid would never manage to get revenge on that Gepetto guy for selling him. And Aerith would never be able to mother over them all again. And Cloud may never be able to find his 'light'. Even though he'd already found his 'light', as Tifa had told Kairi, "Me!" the older had added to the end.

Kairi's eyes widened and she turned her phone back on. She typed out another message, sent it, and put her phone back in her bag.

She relaxed after that and started humming the first tune that came into her head. It seemed to be some sort of mix between 'The World That Never Was' (she loved that song, it was all she ever listened to nowadays) and '100 Acre Wood' (which was another of her favourites).

The train started to slow down and people started busying themselves, as they prepared all their things to take off the train.

Once Kairi stepped off the train she was amazed. She could remember being little and being amazed, but she couldn't quite remember _why_. Now she could.

The place was thronging with people from all over, everywhere was crowded with about 10 people in a metre squared space. The girl took one step forward and soon realised what she had let herself into; a trap from which no one could escape. NO ONE!

She gulped, and tried to trek away from the business men in suits and the rushed looking mothers, and the crying babies, and just get to the teenagers over there with the uniforms on. She tried to trek away. Yet somehow found herself being pushed back into the train. So, Kairi thought she might try taking a different manner to this, she ran to end of the carriage and broke open the door at the side, and stepping onto the empty platform at the back, she felt refreshed and relieved.

She'd just curve round all the bustling people and make her way down the side gap.

And however crazy this plan may have seemed, it worked!

She breathed in the fresh air from the more crowded side of Twilight Town, and carried on her way to Tram Common. Once there, she took a tram to school.

The High School was still the same, with it's traditional looking front doors – that students aren't allowed through, they have to go through any one of the three side doors – only one one upper floor, in the main building for chemistry and social studies. But one upper room where the art sessions usually took place. Kairi remembered frequent visits here as her teachers liked to show the elementary students around.

She'd be a freshman here, along with her other friends.

She couldn't wait.

The headteacher had shown her around in the summer holidays, so she knew where to go and what to do there. She had a brown satchel, with darker brown straps. She grinned as she stepped into lower school. The place reeked of the 'Science' sort of odour. The walls were all grey and cold blue, posters and pieces of work scattered the boards situated in very formal ways down the corridor.

Kairi shivered.

She wasn't sure if she liked her new school.

But she knew she couldn't just stand there, she could have done that when the head had been showing her round. Right now, she had to go to her form room. She grinned, and stepped through.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she cried.

**E**n_d_ **o**_f_ **C**hapte_r_

**A/N:**_ I am English. Please don't blame me if I got a load of stuff about school wrong. In fact, tell me, and I'll change it!! Kairi's15, right? And if you're a freshman in High school, you start when you're 14/15... right...?_

_That's basically all I know about the great 'American Schooling System'... or however you say it..._

_/whimper/_

_Please don't kill me. Please._

_You can make a few educated guesses at who Kairi's 'friend' is. I think it's kind of obvious... but then again... I know..._

_So really, I don't know. O-o_

_Because the J-G virus in contagious._

_!ALERT! Inside Joke. DO NOT READ TOO MUCH INTO IT._

_Tell me what you think!_


	2. C2: mission: infiltrate haters

**O**nc_e_ **Y**ou'v_e_ **M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r_ **_2_**

**M**issio_n_:** I**nfiltrat_e_ **H**ater_s_

Kairi made a small kicked puppy noise, before turning away, and walking out the class. She leant her head back on one of the boards proclaiming that 'Fashion kills people in Africa'.

She took in a few deep breaths before walking in again. She wondered where she'd sit. She kept her head bent down, and walked to the back of the classroom; they might not see her that way. She had no idea where to sit, so she decided she'd make a decision when everyone else was sat down.

She rifled through her bag and eventually found a little bracelet she had made when she was little with her best friend. Her best friend made one too, but Kairi doubted that her best friend had kept it.

She slowly picked at the knot tying the string together, and carefully drew the beads off it, one by one.

She watched the small plastic beads fall to the ground, shining wet with tears. They glimmered softly in the morning light that was streaming through the windows.

The background noise only accompanied her grief.

The short clip played through her head over and over again. She squeezed her eyes shut to get rid of it. But it wouldn't go. It just wouldn't go!

_Naminé sits at her desk, drawing pictures of people, dying. Sora and Riku fighting, with Sora pinned up against the back wall, his neck colliding with the bookcase tip. Roxas tripping up girls as they walk past, Axel laughing as he does so. Olette screaming at Hayner. Hayner shouting back. Pence being pushed into the corner by a taller kid. Kairi cries._

Kairi couldn't help but cry. Her friends weren't homicidal, neither did they push each other about, or other people about and laugh, they didn't fight, or get bullied.

It wasn't true.

That wasn't them.

"STOP IT!" Kairi screamed. She hoped it was all just some part of a play or scam to wind her up. She was scared. What if it was the real thing? What if Naminé drew pictures of Kairi dying, and what if Riku broke Sora's neck, and what if Roxas and Axel started bullying people, and what if Olette screamed at Hayner so much she burst, and what if Pence got bullied?

What would she do then?

"Who shouted that?" came a voice. It was Roxas's.

Kairi bit her lip, and stood up slowly, brushing herself down.

"What's you name?" he asked, Kairi rolled her eyes, _So they don't remember me, huh?_

"Kairi."

No one gave shocked faces, or looked around at each other. Roxas looked at Axel, but that was it.

"Kairi? I knew a Kairi. We all knew a Kairi. Are you that Kairi?" he asked, moving to Axel's lap. Kairi's eyes widened. _Axel... Axel... and Roxas...?_

"Erm..." Should she say 'Yes' or 'No'. If she said 'Yes' then maybe they'd stop killing each other, but maybe if she said 'No' they'd kill her, "Ye-Yeah..."

This time everyone looked right up at her, even Naminé who had previously been busy drawing a very graphic picture of someone with red hair burning in some fire. Kairi hoped it wasn't her.

Naminé's eyes were shining, and she quickly looked back down, scribbling more vigorously.

Sora turned his head away from her, Riku stared on, a corner of his mouth sliding upwards. Olette's lips trembled, Hayner crossed his arms and turned away. Pence was in a situation where he couldn't really do anything but cower, shrinking further and further into the carpet.

Roxas and Axel, on the other hand, were laughing.

"What?" she asked, desperately seeking information on what was going on. It was a scam, it had to be!

"You really don't know what's going on, do you?" Axel smirked, watching Kairi fumble with her fingers, glancing up at the others every now and then, "You're the reason we're all like this, you know?"

Kairi gulped, _I am?_

She couldn't see how she was. She waited for Axel or Roxas to say something else, something to prove that it wasn't her fault. Axel sighed, and carried on, "You don't get it, do you? Well, you know what, _you_ don't need to."

Kairi squeezed her eyes shut, and fell to the floor.

_Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream._

._o_.**o**._o_.

Her bag fell to the ground as she pulled the keys out of the door, shutting it behind her.

"Dad! Daddy, I'm home!" she cried out, before racing upstairs and getting changed into something more after-schoolish.

She sat in her room, reading her latest text message from Yuffie.

_We're not dead Kai we're all fine you having fun? Ring me_

Kairi dialled Yuffie's number and waited for the beeps to stop. Soon, Yuffie's voice could be heard on the other line.

"_Hi Kai! How ya been?_"

Kairi took a deep breath, and smiled, Yuffie didn't have to know, "I'm great! Everyone's still the same! It's so fun, I wish you were here!"

She could almost hear Yuffie grin, "_Glad to hear it! I wish I could, too, but everyone over here's got their hands full... even ME! I mean, and I go to school and all! I think it's a bit unfair. Don't you?_"

Kairi nodded slowly, "Ye-Yeah, it is kinda unfair. But at least I don't have to do anything!! Ha! HAHA!" she cried, smirking.

Yuffie replied with a, "_Damn, Cid's here, see you later, yeah? Bye!!_" There was a click then a monotonous '_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_'.

Kairi sighed and flopped onto her bed, she laid a hand to her head, and wondered what on earth was happening.

Then she had an idea.

She picked up a phone book and dialled another number.

A sarcastic tone reached her ears, "Hello?"

Kairi stifled a giggle, it had been so long since she had heard that voice on the _phone_. "Hi. This is Roxas's mother. Can I speak to Axel, please?"

The voice spoke again, "Axel speaking. What is it you want?"

Kairi bit her lip, what _did_ she want? She just wanted to talk to her friend, like she did before. When they were little, and they sat on the tram together and talked about everything, and when they were on the train and he made sure she didn't get pushed about, or when they were at school, and all their friends would be happy, and didn't want to kill each other. It just didn't make sense!

"I wanted to know how you were. I haven't spoken to you in a long while!" Kairi laughed nervously, tugging at the collar of her t-shirt. There was silence at the other end of the line.

"Roxas's mother has been dead for two years, Kairi."

Kairi slapped her forehead. Axel had seen through her clever ruse, and what's more, if Roxas was with him, then she was more than likely going to be pushed around the next day and all the days after that by Roxas.

"I'm sorry... I just want to know why you're all acting like this, and you all 'hate' me..."

Axel pondered for a moment.

"Because we hate you. Goodbye."

And yet again, Kairi heard the monotonous sound of a '_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_'.

She sighed and rested her head back on the pillow.

She remembered what Cid had once told her:

"_Once you've moved, everything changes."_

She had never quite known what it had meant, until now. And now that everything had changed, she wanted it all back. ALL OF IT! But what could she do?

She could dress up as someone else and pretend to be like some sort of 'Pease maker' and stop them from hurting each other, and learn to realise that Kairi was actually a very nice girl and couldn't possibly have made them be so mean to each other. And then she could 'come back' as Kairi, and they'd all love her, and she'd love them, and then they'd all live 'Happily Ever After'.

Except, she couldn't do that.

It would just not work.

Maybe she could infiltrate the system.

This was how she saw it:

They all hated each other, but, as a group, they hated Kairi.

Therefore, they were a team.

If she knocked down one of them, then she could get into the 'team' and make them all like her again.

It was a long shot, but it might just work!

She screamed with joy, and laid back onto her bed.

So, who to get to...

She thought back on what people looked like when they realised it was her:

_Naminé's eyes were shining, and she quickly looked back down, scribbling more vigorously. Sora turned his head away from her, Riku stared on, a corner of his mouth sliding upwards. Olette's lips trembled, Hayner crossed his arms and turned away. Pence was in a situation where he couldn't really do anything but cower, shrinking further and further into the carpet._

She could try Pence, but that was too easy. They'd be expecting that, and besides, she didn't know how he really reacted to her since he was being bullied at that particular moment. He was probably the one with most hate for her...

Naminé's was about to cry... But then she started burning whoever was in that picture even _more_. So, maybe not Naminé...

Riku was basically trying to kill Sora, and she had also noticed as the day had progressed that the silver-haired teen had been trying to get at Sora, whereas Sora had been running away a lot, but when faced with Riku, he would... well, try to kill Riku back. So, maybe not Riku. Or Sora.

Olette was a possibility, but Kairi had never really got on well with Olette to begin with, so she doubted it would work.

Hayner was completely out of the question; when younger, Kairi and Hayner would compete and decide who got onto the swings first. Plus, he hadn't even had the guts to look her in the eye. Well... no one had really, but she had something against Hayner.

Roxas and Axel were obviously the 'leaders' of this 'I-HATE-KAIRI' group that the said girl had formed in her mind, so she was _not_ going to go anywhere near them; even though she'd probably have to go on the train and tram with Axel every day. Maybe she could put in a good word here or there. It probably wouldn't help anyway.

Kairi gasped with exasperation.

She brought out a notebook from one of the cardboard boxes scattered around the place, and flicked out a pen from her pocket. She tore out all the used pages and chewed the end of her pen before scribbling down some notes:

_**Mission:** INFILTRATE HATERS_

_Naminé_

_Sora_

_Riku_

_Olette_

_Hayner_

_Pence _

Then Kairi began to play a game she used to play when she was little, she would press her finger on each person as one word past, singing:

"_Ip dip, sky blue, it is you!"_

She underlined the name that was crushed underneath her finger, and grinned. She had better start working on her plan.

._o_.**o**._o_.

_**Mission:** INFILTRATE HATERS_

_Naminé_

_Sora_

_Riku_

_Olette_

_Hayner_

**E**n_d_ **o**_f_ **C**hapte_r_

**A/N:** _How was it? Good? Bad? I guess the next chapter is when the real SoKai begins... Can you feel the excitement? Roxine will come in... erm... chapter 5? There, a promise, Roxine – unless I have further plot developments that acquire me to not do so – will arrive at Chapter 5!_

_Or Chapter 4._

_Something to LOOK FORWARD TO!!_

_Yayyyyyyyyy!_

_P.S. Sorry it was kind of short... I'll make the next one EXTRA big!! Just to make up for it!!_


	3. C3: my precious axel & my pretty roxas

**O**nc_e_ **Y**ou'v_e_ **M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r_ **_3_**

**M**_y_ **P**reciou_s_ **A**xe_l_ and **M**_y_ **P**rett_y_ **R**oxa_s_

Kairi hummed merrily as she made her way to a random tram. They seemed to be everywhere and made Kairi realise how much money they spent back in Hollow Bastion just for one district.

They had sent trams to three towns:

_Traverse Town_

_Destiny Islands_

_Twilight Town_

And then they had kept the good ones for themselves.

If Kairi could remember correctly, they had given only about half of the Zero district's trams to Twilight Town, and still the things swamped the place!

She snorted, moving onwards, her books tightly packed away in her satchel.

When Kairi boarded her tram, she couldn't find one space in the little compact 'automobile' as Cid called them. She looked round, before seeing Axel. She smiled, remembering her plan, and then, turning away to fix a sad, upset look on her face.

She shifted down the carriage and stood at the back looking forlorn and miserable.

"Pfft. What are you upset about?" came a sneer from beside her. Kairi looked up, and saw Axel gazing down at her, a smirk printed to his features. Kairi sniffed and rubbed her eyes, she had always known she should have joined that drama group when she had had the chance!

"Well... I was thinking about what you said yesterday, about how you all hate me, and I couldn't think why... A-And... And... then my dad told me that Mum was... was... missing... And I just... Axel, why do you _hate_ me?" Axel leered down at Kairi, and watched tears spring to her eyes, as she sobbed out 'what had happened'.

His upper lip curled at the corners, "You should know, Kairi."

Kairi blinked.

._o_.**o**._o_.

Sora sat at his desk, looking forward, nowhere else. He felt apathetic. And a few years ago, he wouldn't have even known what that word meant. But then everything changed. And he felt apathetic towards everything except Riku.

Whenever he looked at the boy, he felt this sudden rage like nothing he'd ever felt before. It was like when you look at a piece of cookie that your mother has forbidden you to eat, and you get mad with the cookie and not your mother. Simply because it was _there_.

He knew the reason he got mad at Riku was not because of Riku, but because of Kairi.

Well, that's what Roxas had fed into his little mind.

_Everything is Kairi's fault. Every single thing that goes wrong. Look at you. You all know it._

Sora furrowed his brow, and continued looking apathetic and facing forward.

He felt movement beside him, and soft sobbing noises.

He turned round to see Olette crying, Sora pushed her softly, trying to get her to move. He didn't want to sit next to anyone. Anyone. Therefore, nobody had the right to sit next to him.

"Stop it, Sora. I wanna sit here."

"Get out the seat."

Olette grumbled for a moment, and then left the place. Sora wiped his eye. Why was he acting like this? He should have patted her on the back, given her a hug and told her that 'He's not worth it'.

But he didn't.

Instead, he had told her to get out the seat.

And he felt so _guilty_.

Suddenly, a face popped up out of nowhere, surprising the hell out of Sora.

"Hi Sora!" she whispered. Sora pulled a face, wondering what the girl was doing. Wasn't she the 'enemy'? Shouldn't he push her out of the way as he had done to Olette? "Sora, why do you hate me?"

Sora made faces like a fish, and then gabbled something incoherent.

"Oh... you're not going to tell me either, are you?" the girl looked down. That was when Sora noticed it: her eyelashes were not mucked up with mascara, and her cheeks didn't have any fake pinkiness to them, and neither did her lips.

Her face wasn't some unearthly colour from too much (or any, for that matter) foundation.

She was make-up free.

Make-up free girls were a rare sight for Sora, everywhere he turned, make-up followed him, chasing him round the corner. They were also big hush-hush taboos. Especially when you live in a house with five other girls, plus two women to look after the lot - if a boy talks about it... that boy is **dead**.

And if one of the girls managed to get a hold of any one of the four boys, or Auron, then even the boys would have make-up on. And then Sora would be at a loss, as he was included in that sum of 'four boys, or Auron'.

But he was not the 'or Auron'.

Sora shuddered at the thought.

"Are you cold?" Sora shook his head, "Do you ever talk?" Sora lifted his head, and thought about this. The last time he had talked was to babble incoherently, and before that to get Olette off a chair, before that, he had told Rinoa to stop fussing over him, and that had been this morning.

He counted that as talking.

He nodded his head slightly.

Kairi nodded hers.

"Sora, do _you_ hate me?" she asked, staring into his face. Sora blushed and turned away. "You do? Or you don't? If you talk... then why won't you talk to me?"

Sora sighed, "It hurts..." he mumbled.

"It hurts you to talk to me? ... Oh... I'm sorry... I-I'll go... bye." Kairi left with one last sad smile.

Sora turned back into looking apathetic, but he knew that wasn't how he was feeling, that had never been how he had feeling. If you _can_ feel while being apathetic. Just before his 'conversation' with Kairi, he had felt a hatred bubbling in the pits of his stomach, and now that was gone it left him with an emptiness which was soon replaced with a dark sadness. Not resting only in his stomach, but consuming his whole being.

He sighed, and did the only a Sora could do in these situations:

He pouted.

._o_.**o**._o_.

"Oh, Rino_aaaaa_! Zidane stole my bunny _again_," Selphie shot a nasty look at Zidane who just smirked at the younger child. Rinoa turned to face them both.

"Hey guys, Zidane, can you give Selphie's bunny back, please?" Zidane grumbled under his breath and threw the bunny at Selphie's feet, "That's better Zidane, except I'd prefer it if you didn't throw it down, I'm sure Selphie or her bunny didn't apprecia- Sora! Sora's back! We can have dinner, now! Come on children, to the table! Selphie, leave your bunny in my office, we'll get it back later, honey."

Selphie dropped her bunny on the office desk and scampered after Sora.

"Hi Sora!" Sora grunted in reply, "What's the matter, Sora?" Sora grunted, "That's good, Sora!" Sora grunted, "Well, see you later, Sora!" Sora grunted, as Selphie rushed to the dinner table where food could be seen arriving.

"Grubs up, kids!" came a cheerful voice from the kitchen. Sora sat down in his place, but he couldn't eat anything. He watched as all the other kids swallowed down their food. There was Irvine, the eldest (he was about half a year older than Zidane and Garnet), Zidane, and Garnet, and then Rikku and Yuna, a little bit younger than Sora, then there was Selphie and Wakka, who were five and eight.

Sora always felt so out of place there. He seemed to be the odd one out. All the others matched went together in a certain group, like Selphie and Irvine, Zidane and Garnet, Yuna, Rikku and Wakka. But, for some unknown reason, Sora was not.

The brunet took a spoon and brought it to his bowl. He took a spoonful of the soup and placed it in his mouth.

The soup tasted of warmth and old times. Of happy times, before Kairi left and everyone loved everyone else and they all would meet on top of Sunset Hill, their parents coming to collect them at five.

He grabbed another spoonful and forced it down his throat.

And they'd go to Kairi's house for all their parties; it was so big. The parties would be the best, with jelly and cake and great big bounce castles.

Sora poured another spoonful of the searing hot liquid down his throat.

And Kairi and Axel would go on the train and tram together, and when they got to school Axel would be making sure she didn't get hurt. They all protected each other.

Sora's spoon clinked as he took another gulp of soup.

He could remember his 'secret' love for Naminé, except it wasn't so secret especially when he ran after her in the playground. And Kairi was determined to help Sora, even though Axel had told him that Kairi loved Sora.

Sora's cried in pain as a gulp of boiling soup burnt his tongue and throat.

"Sora, honey, are you okay?"

Sora got up from his seat and kicked it back into place before scampering up the stairs.

._o_.**o**._o_.

If Kairi had anyone to talk to, she'd talk to them. But at the moment, Yuffie was too busy with some sort of 'new idea' Cid had planned.

Stupid Cid; he always made the worst out of good times.

It annoyed Kairi like hell.

So, a severely pissed off Kairi stomped through school, searching for her long lost locker. Except it wasn't long lost, it was just she used it yesterday, and today she couldn't find it. That meant she had another reason to scream in annoyance.

She eventually found the said locker and wrenched it open. Inside were some books, stacked on top of one another in a relatively neat fashion. Kairi grinned, and out of her bag she brought some photos. There was one of her and Yuffie fishing, and the rest were all from when she was younger.

There was one of her and Axel asleep on the train. One of her talking with Sora and Naminé. One of her holding hands with Hayner (Yevon knows why!), and another of her pushing Olette on the swings. The last one was of her sitting on Roxas's lap, caught by her mother just after playing pass-the-parcel at Sora's birthday party. And then there was one more of her that Pence had taken a photo of.

The last one was her favourite though. It had been taken by Pence on her fifth birthday, and all her friends were there. She was in the centre, giggling at something Sora had just said. Olette was resting her head on Roxas's and Axel was playing 'Patty Cake' with Naminé. Hayner was just smiling in the corner.

A tear slipped out of Kairi's eye, as she leant her head on her shoulder, keeping her bag up and admiring her photos at the same time.

"What are you doing, Kai?" came a sudden voice from behind her. Kairi slammed the door shut and looked for the voice, "Were those photos, Kai?"

Wait a minute... _Someone's calling me 'Kai'?_

Kairi swung round and found herself in the presence of Sora. She sighed, laughing slightly.

"Sora... Did you call me 'Kai'?" she asked, just to make sure. Sora nodded, watching her scream with joy, "I knew you couldn't have hated me!" She engulfed him in a huge bear hug. He laughed nervously, afraid someone would see him; Kairi wasn't very popular so far.

"Why does calling you 'Kai' make me not hate you?" Sora asked, almost using up every brain cell in doing so. It was a tricky question to formulate!

Kairi looked at him knowingly, "Because, Sora, it's you! As in _you_ you! Not some kid who punches Riku when he gets too close. Oh..." Kairi felt more tears slip down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, but more came down.

Sora was at a loss of what to do. He was afraid that if Roxas or someone saw him then he'd be in trouble, but Kairi was crying. And Kairi was the only hope they had of ever becoming a happy group again.

He wasn't sure if Kairi would ever be part of it again though.

"Kairi..." mumbled Sora, "I missed you... I missed you so much... and now... now, everyone's being mean to you, and saying they hate you. I wish I knew why... a-and I could help you..."

Kairi blinked.

Wasn't she meant to be the one trying to befriend Sora first?

Well... that was the original plan, but if it was going to be like this, then she was happy to keep it that way.

She giggled, and pecked Sora on the cheek. As she skipped away, Sora blushed and held a hand to his cheek.

_Ignore it..._

He felt the blush turn into some sort of burning sensation as his hand held it.

_Or at least try to!_

._o_.**o**._o_.

Kairi skipped merrily down the corridors, grinning at anyone who past. Some people smiled back, but some just snorted muttering words of: "Freak..."

She felt dizzy with pride and happiness. She had kissed _Sora_!! From what she had found out so far, Sora was one of those popular boys who all the girls loved, and would have given their right arm to be in Kairi's shoes for that day. Except, Kairi knew that most of them would _not_ have given their right arm, but perhaps a hair clip. And even then she was still hazy on whether they would actually _step_ into her shoes.

But nonetheless, butterflies roamed her stomach like darkness roams a dark room, or how evil birds roam the snow capped mountains of gloom. Except not as depressing.

She carried on her way, flopping down on her seat in the form room.

Her form room had three columns of tables. Two would be sat next to each other to form one column in the middle, and one table at the sides of the room would signify the last two columns. Kairi sat in the far right corner, away from all the 'humanity', or what was left of it from her classmates.

It seemed that her former friends' behaviour set off a trigger in the other pupils to cause them to go crazy, insane, any other way of putting it.

But Kairi wasn't going to be like that. Nu uh. Kairi was going to be clever, and stop the 'behaviour'.

Kairi had a plan. And it all revolved around Sora, and a kiss, and a better kiss.

And infiltrating.

She wondered what would happen to Sora at the end.

Maybe they'd all hate him. More than they hated Kairi, now.

Or maybe she _was_ going crazy like all the other kids. She looked around, there were tiny squabbles going on between class members, some were eating pencils, the others were just being a nuisance to the lunch time supervisors.

She breathed in.

And out.

And in.

And out.

And eventually she regained the light-headedness she had been holding before, instead of the dank stuffiness that surrounded her brain when she thought too much.

Someone snorted with laughter, "They're at it, again!"

Kairi looked up.

"Yevon! Get a room, for Yunalesca's sake!" came another voice.

Kairi looked around, and eventually found what the other kids were talking about. This is what caused her sudden outburst of: "My eyessssssss... My beautiful... eyes... and my precious... Axel... and my pretty... Roxas... MY EYES!!"

For there before, for all to see, was Axel making out with Roxas.

Kairi stared on, her mouth wide open, mumbling words along the lines of: "But I didn't mean it..."

She had no idea why. It just seemed to fit the occasion. Axel eventually drew back and pushed a strand of Roxas' hair behind the younger boy's ear. Roxas smirked, and turned round to sit on Axel's lap again.

Kairi's eye twitched.

When she sat down again she was breathing heavily, and slowly.

She breathed in.

And out.

And in.

And out.

Her lips quavered for a minute, before salty wet tears began to drop from her eyes, "But I didn't mean it..." she mumbled again.

**E**n_d_ **o**_f_ **C**hapte_r_

**A/N:** _Sorry 'boot the mistakes in the last chapter... like writing 'Pease' instead of 'Peace'. When I read that, I laughed so hard I hit my head on the wall. It hurt... ;-; Damn that '__Pease'. -- I'm also sorry for forgetting to include Pence in the last bit where Sora was underlined... I was wondering why my little poem/rhyme/...THING wasn't matching up. I was beginning to feel like Rai on the stairs. And that's a SCARY thought... But anyways, sorry to all those people who don't like yaoi or AkuRoku or... whatever... I really am sorry. I feel really bad for it now..._

_/meep/_

_Will you ever forgive me?_

_And just so you know:_

_I luff all the reviews I get:)))_

_And the reviewers... cuz you know... the reviews... wouldn't be there... um..._

_Again... REALLY REALLY REALLY sawwie..._

_/cry/_


	4. C4: free

**O**nc_e_ **Y**ou'v_e_ **M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r_ _**4**_

**F**re_e_

**Word travelled quickly of how it 'happened'.**

Of course, most of the stories were completely wrong, and had nothing to do with the actual happenings. These stories included such fibs as how he was pushed off the top of the Clock Tower, or how he was run over by a tram.

Kairi's nostril would twitch everytime she heard these sorts of lies. She wasn't sure what to believe, because it was just a rumour. And couldn't people keep their noses out of other peoples' business?

"And, then, like, he, like, then, he, like..."

_Obviously not_, Kairi mused, laughing inside at the way these people articulated their very precious words.

As she reached it, she placed a hand on her locker, and slowly stroking down until her fingers reached the dial, and she twisted it until a short click sound could be heard and she pulled the door open. Inside, there were a few books, her games kit, and the pictures she had put up about a year ago.

One by one, she picked them off, leaving only some blue tac and a gap in the surrounding dust that was quickly filled in.

She kept a straight face as she stacked some more books on the already growing pile of books she had already had in the lockers.

She turned away, and carried on her way to history. Once inside, she'd be bombarded with questions and such. But she would ignore these silly, trivial things and move straight onto sitting next to Naminé. Once at this point, the two girls would... do history.

Kairi wondered how Sora was taking it...

Like Sora, probably. Except, she didn't really know what being 'Sora' was like, so she was not one to judge. She hoped he was taking it badly. _Really_ badly. Because it was his fault.

All of his fault.

And she had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Nothing, at all.

Nuh-uh.

Not one bit...

...Except for everything.

But what could she do about it, now?

It all started when she first met Sora. And this led onto different things, like meeting Naminé, and then meeting Riku, and then Axel, and then Roxas, and then Olette, and last of all Hayner.

And that led onto other things, like friendship, and then she moved, and that had been a big step. And, then she came back.

She laughed at how stupid she had been back then. At how her tiny little world revolved around Sora, and waiting for Yuffie to have time for her, and wondering when she would be friends with the 'gang' again, and what the hell Roxas and Axel were thinking.

She shut her eyes tight, and tried washing the memories away. It seemed to be the best thing to do at times like those.

Smile it off.

She reached her classroom and stepped inside. Her predictions proved correct and questions flew past her head, almost hitting her. She didn't like questions; they made her head hurt. She felt like a crazy person just come out of the asylum. Not that she knew what that felt like, it's just what she thought it might feel like.

And suddenly doubt swept over her pretty auburn head. What if what she had done, had been the wrong option?

What if, she had taken the wrong road, and ended up somewhere adrift a nothingness pit of gloom, and a dark abyss.

It was quite possible; when she closed her eyes, it was all she could see. Or couldn't see, as the case may be.

She eventually reached the place situated next to Naminé and felt her dark gaze bore into her.

"What?! What is it you all want from me? I'm just here to _leeearn_, not answer your stupid questions about some bastards who got themselves hurt! Okay? You got that clear?"

The crowd began to disperse, and Naminé breathed in heavily, "Cruel. But you got rid of them. Therefore, you're no longer in debt to me."

Kairi's breath jolted. The words she'd been waiting to hear nearly all year, being spoken to her, and she didn't know what to say. She felt like jumping on the table and screaming with joy. But then again, she felt like going to sit in the corner and cry.

She was at a loss.

"So, you're finally free. What are you going to do now, Kairi?" she asked, smiling gently. Kairi gasped, almost inaudibly. Naminé had been horrible to her _all_ year, what had suddenly brought on this change of attitude?

No wait... she could guess.

There was a possible mark of three reasons.

And they all revolved around Kairi's 'deeds'.

Kairi blinked, and looked around. The world seemed different now. She was popular, she had secret admirers, she was on top of all her homework, school wasn't that boring. There was nothing wrong.

A.K.A. nothing she could do.

Except...

A chair squeaked on the floor as Kairi raced as hard as she could through the corridors leading to the door. She rushed outside, and practically threw herself round the corner and onto a tram. She checked her watch every five seconds, waiting for the tram to get to where she needed to be.

_Come on, come on..._

The tram finally came to a halt at her stop. She breathed a sigh of relief, and carefully made her way to the front doors, she stepped through and went on straight to the lifts. The lifts took her to the chosen room. She squeezed her eyes shut, and forced herself onwards. She heard the flapping of curtains against an open window, and the mutter of chatter.

Her instincts told her when to turn. She opened her eyes, and saw him.

Laid there, sleeping, like an angel.

She felt a hand clamp down on her shoulders: "Look what you did, Kairi."

Kairi looked at the boy in the bed.

And saw faint marks over his hands and face. There was a deep gash down his right arm.

"That's what you did."

Kairi's mouth tightened. She could save him now. "I'm free."

"Really?"

"Yes."

The voice beside her laughed, she could almost see his smirk come out with his laughter, "So, I guess, 'the world is your oyster' now then?"

"I wish..." Kairi mumbled, her eyes starting to water. The voice beside her turned round and she saw Axel's lanky form.

"But all the stuff you've done's turned the world into your lobster."

Kairi mumbled a 'Uh-huh...' and sniffed, Axel pulled her into a one-armed hug, as she kept sniffing. "I hate you..." she muttered, darkly. Axel merely shrugged.

"I know."

She breathed in quietly, then left Axel's grip.

**E**n_d_ **o**_f_ **C**hapte_r_

**A/N:** _ Heh. Writer's block sucks. And my mum doesn't believe in it. Which sucks more. But what sucks most is that no one prob'ly knows what's going on. Well, it's a year later. Yes. A year._

_And I'm sorrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy for the AkuRoku. S'all part of the plot, folks. All part of it._

_Roxine AND SoKai in next chapter! Party!_

_(And that chapter will be put up soon because it's so short. In fact I'll put it up tomorrow!)_


	5. C5: keeping it together

**O**nc_e_ **Y**ou'v_e_ **M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r_ _**5**_

**K**eepin_g_ **I**_t_ **T**ogethe_r_

**A/N:** _I'm soooooo sorry! I had this on hiatus for... a while! And that chapter was sitting in my file, waiting to be put up. But I didn't put it up/cry/ And now I'm really sorry, because I read all your GREAT reviews again! And again I'm _**_sooooooo_**_ sorry about the AkuRoku (it was mainly for a friend but also for the plot) and I wanna make it up to you – so I shall now, and this chapter will have as MUCH SoKai and Roxine as I can get in it! You lot all INSPIRE me:) I love you ALL!_

._o_.**o**._o_.

Taking a small step as she reached out towards him, she rested a hand on his cheek. He mumbled a little, before relaxing again. She looked back at Axel, confused, wondering what to do. Axel shrugged and sat back down in the white chair next to the bed opposite.

"Sora... Sora?" Kairi whispered, talking to him as though he were a small child who needed waking up gently. The brunet blinked, and slowly opened his wide blue eyes. "Sora?" she asked, cautiously.

The boy rubbed his eyes, and looked at his surroundings, the white walls, the white and blue bed sheets, Axel sitting in a chair across the way, Kairi looki- Kairi looking down at him.

He squirmed, and tried wriggling away from her. Her face contorted into a shape which looked like she had just eaten a lemon. "Sora, c'mere, I need to tell you something and I can't tell you if **you** _**keep**_ _**wriggling**_!" She grabbed him by the arms, careful to avoid the cut, and made sure he had no chance of escape. Sora's eyes were large with worry as they darted round the room, hoping he could find an escape. He looked at Axel pleadingly, but Axel only smirked and nodded his forehead in Kairi's direction.

"Look... Kairi... I know you... hate me... and everything... but... ..."

He trailed off. Kairi sat on the edge of his bed, looking away. Sora held his cheek. She had kissed it again.

Wasn't that how it had all started?

"I'm sorry, Sora. I'll make it up to you – I made it up to Naminé, right? I'm good at making it up to people."

Kairi shot a nervous glance at Axel as she mentioned the whole Naminé deal. He shrugged, and looked down at the magazine he had randomly picked up and started to read. Despite the fact it was upside down.

"But... wasn't that..."

"Yes, that was why you ended up here, I know, I know. But, Sora, it's just- it's so hard to fit in. And you were all turning against me – I **had** to do something! And you seemed easy target. And then Naminé told me to... and so I had to."

Sora blinked, "Why would you do what she said?"

Kairi sighed, kicking the bed with her heels. Maybe coming here was a bad idea.

"I did what she said because... I had nothing else to live for." Kairi was regretting ever coming back to Twilight Town. But, she had been regretting that for a _long_ time now. She leant back and watched Sora's face as he looked down on her, "But now I don't do what she says. I'll do what you say, because I owe you."

There was a snort from the background. "Is that how you're going to get by now: there's no point in living, so you do what someone tells you to – like a slave?"

Kairi's mouth opened to retaliate. But, no words came out.

It was true, wasn't it though?

._o_.**o**._o_.

Naminé tapped her fingers impatiently. She felt so bad about Kairi; she had ruined her own life, sure, but Naminé hadn't helped by ordering her to do things that no other teenager had ever tried.

But she couldn't help it. She felt so... good when she told Kairi to do things like that. Like releasing all that tension she had had building up inside her while she watched with envy as Axel and Roxas became better and better friends.

It wasn't her fault she wasn't with Roxas then! She could have been! But, no. She was stuck inside her house with a cold.

That was when Kairi had made her big announcement.

And when everyone went their separate ways.

"Naminé!" Naminé looked up suddenly to see Roxas grinning, running along the grass to her. He sat down on the dry grass next to her, and took a sandwich out from his pocket.

"You're late, Roxas."

Roxas tutted and rolled his eyes, "By three minutes!" He hit her gently on the arm with his fist, and began to eat his sandwich.

"I missed you, Roxas..." sighed Naminé, leaning on Roxas' shoulder. Roxas laughed, and patted her head. Naminé sure was weird – but he guessed that was why he loved her.

**E**n_d _**o**_f _**C**hapte_r _

**A/N:** _Ah, twas crappy. I know. And I know everything is SO confusing, but you'll all find out what's happened soon enough. All these chapters are jumbled up, and it's making my brain (or brian for any of those who're in the know) hurt._

_And I seriously can't believe that you're all reading it still, even though I put in AkuRoku – I have an IDEA! __If I get enough reviews saying they want it out then I'll rewrite a few chapters, and any other chapters you hated – and there will be NO yaoi whatsoever!_

_S'okay? o._


	6. C6: insulted

**O**nc_e_ **Y**ou'v_e_ **M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r_ _6_

**I**nsulte_d_

A/N: _Okay, those last two chapters were the interlude so I could go ZOOM! straight to the action! Okay, this bit's a coupla conths after chapter 3. (Yes, terrible me, having to tell you when stuff happens!) Hopefully, you'll pretty much understand what's happening here. Hopefully -crosses fingers-_

._o_.o._o_.

One day Axel became friends with Kairi.

He just decided that Kairi was still Kairi – that same Kairi they knew back then. She was still little, scared Kairi inside. Not cruel, conniving Kairi. Taking a step back and looking from the outside one day on the tram, he realised it. She was holding onto the bar above her head, staring out of the window looking so sad. He suddenly grabbed her by the waist and forced her down onto his seat as he quickly maneuvered himself out of the way so it was he who was holding the bar above his head.

She looked up at him, her mouth opened slightly in shock. She blinked with a confused look on her face. Axel suppressed a laugh and shrugged, smiling slightly. He was never doing this again, mind.

And Kairi laughed, she just laughed.

They both managed to get to school, Kairi still giggling, almost insanely, and Axel smirking. Roxas gave them a funny look once they got inside but Kairi swept it aside. She was so used to the funny looks people gave her now. Especially since she started 'liking' Sora.

She didn't, but no one was going to find that out.

But they _were_ going to fall for her amazing plot and she'd drag them in and then, that's when she knew, that they'd love her again. Absolutely adore her. Worship her! Because her plan went like this:

She'd become Sora's girlfriend and force him to do stupid stuff, like tease Riku and annoy the teachers. Then she'd say: "Woah, Sora's different, I don't think I like him anymore," to Naminé and they'd have a nice conversation about something and then Naminé would realise what a mistake she had made and they'd immediately become best friends again.

She'd make Olette and Hayner realise how perfect they were for each other and they'd suddenly love Kairi because it was her who got them together. Kairi could forget about Pence.

Kairi would then get Axel and Roxas a girlfriend each because it was obvious they were just messing around. They didn't really like each other in that way, right?

Then she'd make Riku love her by wooing him in some way. She knew she was pretty, she just hoped she was pretty enough.

Then there was the unsolved problem of Sora... well, there was only one thing Kairi could think of: get rid of him. She'd push him off the tower, claiming he jumped off and he'd just hang about in hospital for a while and then when he came back, he'd be fine and make some more new pitying friends. Or something.

She had everything sorted. She'd do** anything** to have her friends back. Well, as many as she could get back. Pence and Sora – they might not make it.

"Kairi's gone mental, just ignore her."

Kairi rose her head, hearing the sound of Axel.

"Are you sure?"

And Roxas. Was he... was he worried about her?

"Yes, I'm sure."

Kairi furrowed her brow, "I have not gone mental!" she exclaimed, causing the whole class to look her way. A giggle escaped her lips and she turned back to Axel and Roxas who were looking at each other as if to say 'yes, she has'.

"Okay, Kairi, you have not gone mental," Roxas drawled, raising his eyebrow to Axel on the word 'not'. Kairi huffed and rolled her eyes: boys! "Right..."

Kairi smirked, "Axel's my _frie-e-e-end_!" Then she laughed again, a pretty, flowing laugh. An infectious one that Roxas and Axel caught and passed onto each other. Kairi beamed, enveloping both boys into a hug, "And so are you, Roxas!"

Roxas gasped for breath as the last of it got swept away by Kairi's cuddle of doom. "Great..." he wheezed, motioning a slight thumbs up.

She couldn't believe this: Axel and Roxas were her friends again! It took long enough. For the first week she spoke to Axel on the tram, trying to strike up a conversation; anything. Then she gave up and instead of harassing her fellow traveller, she thought about life in general. The communications in Hollow Bastion had suddenly fallen so Yuffie was "_unable to talk right now so call back later, please. _**BEEEEEEEEP**".

She hadn't even talked to Roxas, just shot him sad looks every now and then.

They must've worked!

._o_.o._o_.

Kairi had been shot with the confidence bullet.

She felt like she could do anything – _anything_ – from jumping on a table and screaming the Haka to bursting out into some old Beatles track or something. But no, she would do neither of these things because a) she had no idea how the Haka went, b) her singing was, to put it bluntly, rubbish and c) she had a mission.

She had numerous missions actually. But the one she had at that time was one she had to get over with as quickly as possible. She had to force Sora into liking her. Sora would **love** her by the end of the week, if not the end of the day!

She grinned like a goof as she strolled down the corridors, books almost spilling from her arms in her carelessness. She adored Axel and Roxas! They were the best friends anyone could wish for. They made her feel so... _happy_!

She hugged her books tighter to her chest.

She saw Sora, collecting books from his locker looking so cute as he checked the timetable taped to the doo- she didn't call him cute. No she didn't.

Her grin faltered for a few seconds as she argued with her mind before it was replaced with a, what she hoped to be, seductive kind of smirk. "Sora," she said. "Whatcha doing?"

She licked her lips. Sora replied with a curt, "Getting books."

She rolled her eyes, "Duhhh! But I mean, uh... what are you, um, _thinking_?"

Again, a curt reply was given, "About getting books."

She breathed in heavily, "Okay. So, have you had any relationships lately?" She hoped that this would get at least a shout or a blush or something; something other than a short, snappy reply.

"No." Sora sounded sad. "Never."

Then he slammed the locker closed and stormed off.

Kairi growled under her breath – this was going to be harder than she imagined. That kiss had done nothing to help.

._o_.o._o_.

"And he just stomped off, just like that!"

Axel shook his head, "Well, wouldn't you if you'd just been insulted?" Kairi contemplated this: insulted? How had she insulted him? She'd only asked him what he was doing, what he was thinking and whether he'd ever had a girlfriend. Axel noticed the look of confusedness slapped on her face. "When you asked him whether he'd ever had a 'relationship'," he indicated speech marks round "relationship" with his fingers at this, "he replied with a "No. Never." meaning he's never had a relationship. _Meaning_ you just insulted him."

Kairi mouthed an 'Oh...'

En_d_ o_f_ Chapte_r_

an: Okay, chapter after a million years. I will be updating more often – I promise. And I know this isn't much but hopefully it'll do till the next chapter


	7. C7: the art of love

**O**nc_e_** Y**ou'v_e_** M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r__** 7**_

**T**h_e_** A**r_t_** o**_f_** L**ov_e_

Kairi literally ran to school, messenger bag pounding against her hip, hair flying into her eyes and sticking to her almost-but-not-quite dry lips. She flew past the car park and security, racing into her form room – her mind screaming out for help. She had always wondered what she had done to make Karma scatter thunderstorm warnings over the pages of her book. She hoped that she could maybe fix things up before it came to the last page.

_Please let him be there, please let him be there, please, oh please, please, pleeease._

Once she was in the classroom, she saw that, in fact, **no one** was in there – they were all still at home about to catch a tram or having breakfast. Kairi cursed under her breath, the words "damned weather reports" and "Karma's a bitch" used more than once. So, she heaved her bag off from round her shoulder and swung it round onto the plastic table (cleverly disguised as a wooden one) beside her. She slumped into her chair and let her hands hold her head up.

She wondered what she could do, how could she get Sora to like her? How would she do it? Should she threaten him? No, that would just cause problems. Ice cream, chocolates, cookies, notes? The classics? No, she couldn't see herself being able to pull that sort of stunt off. Maybe she'd just wing it: the common term for just going for it, unprepared.

Unprepared being the main verb in this meaning.

She sighed and glanced at the clock. There was still twenty minutes until the bell went and students started filing into classrooms. She sank lower into her hands before jumping up and flouncing out of the classroom.

Outside, it was cold. Before she hadn't realised this because of all the other thoughts rushing through her head then. About Sora and about Axel and Roxas, Naminé and Pence, Hayner and Olette. But now the cold really hit her.

No wonder her dad shouted a: "**Wear a coat, ya dunce!**" at her as she exited her house. Exited it quickly.

She rounded a corner and stepped into a court, with a few benches and lots of greenery. A few portacabins were scattered over by the far side but over by the doors back into the school was a huge flat piece of roof. And on it, a figure sat. His hair was swaying in the wind as his head bent lower.

It was Sora.

Kairi was intrigued. She stepped cautiously over near the wall to check if it really was Sora and not some random junior being all emo. It was. She followed a path up some tall metal stairs, almost rotten from the ivy that crept up and down its spiraling banistair. She climbed the stairs, almost scared to go up, afraid of what she might find up there. In the freezing cold wind, she felt so unprotected, as though she'd just be blown straight off the roof.

But she wasn't, as she walked slowly towards the brown haired figure, sitting – no, moping – by himself on the edge of the roof.

"So, what brings you up here?" Kairi said, standing behind him, a grimace on her face. Sora turned round, a look on his face that clearly read: '_what?_' "Well, it's cold and the wind could blow you right off. What are you doing here?"

Sora shrugged and turned back round. "I like it," he replied.

Kairi huffed her breath and rubbed her hands together before sitting down next to Sora. "You like it? But it's so col-"

"It's not always cold, you know," Sora snapped back. "I like it, leave it there, okay?"

Kairi pouted slightly and looked at the view ahead. It wasn't that amazing: just Twilight Town in all its industrial, slightly mustard-coloured glory. A few cars zoomed past but nothing exciting happened. "Why do you hate me?" repeated Kairi. She wasn't going to let it go.

Sora stayed silent. Kairi knew it wasn't in his nature to hate, even if she had left a long time ago. It wouldn't take long to crack him, especially once she had found his soft side – there, on that windy roof.

"I don't hate you, you know." Kairi heard Sora's fingers crack. "I still love you."

There was a pause.

"All."

Sora let out a puff of vapour. Kairi smiled.

"I mean, don't you remember that time when we all went to the park and Naminé, when she wore that little blue dress everywhere, and she jumped off that swing and you caught her by accident! And then we all started playing that game, jumping and catching. But when you tried catching me, I was too heavy!" She laughed and Sora couldn't help but let out a smile. "I told you that I'd catch you from then on..."

Sora sniffed, "Yeah," he said, quietly.

Kairi looked at Sora, "Sora, do you really hate me? Do you really?"

Sora looked away. He squeezed his eyes shut and refused to open them for a few seconds. "Kairi," he began. "You left us all and we were so little... no one knew what to do. So Roxas... he told us that you were evil and that we shouldn't like you anymore because it was your fault that we felt sad. And we were divided because some people agreed and some people disagreed. But we kept swapping – someone would disagree one day and agree the next. Eventually everyone just grew apart and no one knew who agreed and who disagreed."

The cold wind picked up Kairi's hair and swung it about her face. Her brain eventually processed the information and she said, "Oh."

Sora looked away again. "Yeah," he repeated.

Kairi grabbed Sora's hand quickly. "You don't hate me. You don't, do you?" Sora rubbed an eye awkwardly with his free hand.

"Kairi..." he mumbled.

Kairi saw his position. What could he say to the girl he supposedly hated for so long? Breaking morales he had previously treasured? What could he say?! "You don't have to hate me, you know. You said it, some people agreed and some people disagreed. Can't you be one to disagree?"

Sora turned back towards Kairi, a sad smile on his face. "I wish I could, Kairi. I wish I could."

Kairi huffed sharply. "So, why don't you, silly?! Please, you don't hate me, so you must disagree with what Roxas said. A-and you don't have to tell them that you disagree and, I mean, even if you did, would they even care? I thought they all hated you..."

Sora slowly nodded, "I... guess..."

"And_maybe_ if you become friends with me, they'll realise that it was all just a big mistake – and maybe, just maybe, they'll be friends with me too!" Kairi smiled.

Sora grinned.

"Yeah!" He punched the air and grabbed Kairi's hands, "Come on, Kai!"

Kairi felt a rush of happiness smack her, and fill her heart and lungs and suddenly she could breathe again and the water wasn't so murky. It was clear and bright, shining with the early morning sun. "Wait, Sora!" she shouted after him. He stopped and turned round. She quickly leant in on his face and pecked his lips before running back down the stairs, leaving Sora flustered and blushing.

**E**n_d_**o**_f_ **C**hapte_r_

**an:** oh, yay!! i really enjoyed writing this even though it's mostly crap. as you can see, everything seems to be turning for the better - for kairi anyway - we'll just leave poor sora for the moment. i have the WHOLE PLOT sorted out, yusssssssssssssssssssss!! -is very happy about this- which means (GASP) quicker updates!! there'll be about 20 chapters overall, some will be quite short - sorry :3 next chapter will have stage two of kairi's plan in it. if you remember from last chapter i think it was, you saw kairi's plan. well, thank you _sooo_ much for reading, now review, please ;D


	8. C8: i don't like him anymore

**O**nc_e_**Y**ou'v_e_**M**ove_d_

**C**hapte_r__**8**_

**I****D**on'_t_**L**ik_e_**H**i_m_**A**nymor_e_

Back in the classroom, Sora and Kairi sat next to each other, whispering and giggling about this and that. When Axel and Roxas came into the room, they were gobsmacked to find the two sitting next to each other.

"What the hell?" Roxas said, looking at Axel for answers. Axel merely shrugged and looked back at Kairi. When Kairi looked up at them, she smiled a sugary-sweet smile at Axel and then, she slowly turned her head towards Roxas and shrugged neatly before shaking her head. "...What the hell?" Roxas repeated, again looked to Axel for answers.

Axel shook his head. "I have no idea."

* * *

It was about a month later of Kairi ignoring to Roxas, talking to Axel only every now and then (though she'd stop talking if he ever asked about her mysterious no-recognition-for-Roxas idea) before she suggested the thought to Sora. And she couldn't believe how well it went. For a while...

Kairi looked back at Sora and grabbed his hand, his eyes widening. "Hey," she said. "Why don't you tell Riku what you really think of him?" Sora gave her an incredulous look.

"You think that that will help?" he said. "Telling Riku that he's a big, fat jerk? Um, Kairi, you're crazy."

Kairi took her hand back and looked at the chipped nail polish on them. "Well, you know, I was kinda hoping you'd be a bit more – well, you know – brave. Like a knight in shining armour. Maybe I thought different." Sora looked as though he had just deflated. Then Kairi gave the final blow, by leaning forward and whispering slightly, "The old Sora would've."

She nodded, then leant back to examine the faded purple and yellow on her nails. Sora stared at her, disbelievingly. _The old Sora would've_. What did she know? She wasn't the Kairi from back then. She wasn't old Kairi. There was something wrong, something wrong with the glint in her eye when she talked to Sora. Something wrong with the way that she spoke, words didn't sound right. They sounded like poison on her tongue, falling like water from fountain.

Yet she looked so calm, not serene per say, but as though she knew what she was doing and she didn't have a care in the world. Sora probably looked like he had just been deeply offended. And, really, he _had_ been.

Kairi had changed, there was no doubting that – but whether the change would last was a different matter. He didn't like the way her hand burnt his skin when she let go and he didn't like the way her words trapped him in a cage. He said, "Alright, Kairi. I will."

Sora only hoped he'd go down in history as a martyr, dying for a great cause.

._o_.**o**._o_.

Kairi sidled over to Naminé as Sora strode over to Riku, only shaking a bit. She sat next to the blonde and whispered, "Hi."

Naminé shot her a look of disgust and shook her head, going back to the drawing she was currently working on. Kairi shrugged but stayed sitting next to the girl, watching her new "friend" tell his bully what he really thought of him. Suddenly fear gripped Kairi as Sora stood there, looking so small and weak. And Riku looked so angry – he was strong, she knew he was. He could easily knock Sora out and still have time to, maybe, give him amnesia and a paralysed side before the teacher even walked through the door.

Kairi brought a face to her hand and then put it down, she sat on it and then she bit her finger and she touched her face. She tried to look away, but she couldn't. She was so scared – she saw her palms sweating.

Naminé looked at Kairi wordlessly.

"What are you here for, Kairi?" she asked, almost smirking at the girl's behaviour.

Kairi gulped slightly and looked towards Naminé, faking a smile. "Oh, uh," gulp, "have you seen how Sora's been acting," gulp, "lately? I mean, I know I think he's my friend and," gulp, "everything – but I think he's going too far. I mean," gulp, sits on hands, "look at what he's doing now!" Nervous laughter, bites finger, "I think he's just being stupid now."

Naminé raised her eyebrows and looked back at her drawing and sketched another line as she commented, "Really? Do you think so?"

Kairi gulped again, and nodded, sheepishly. She felt ill: hot and cold all over, like the time when she thought she was going to fall down that cliff face in Hollow Bastion. But she didn't, she survived. She just hoped that Sora would too.

She bit her finger so much that there were deep teeth marks in it, denting her otherwise perfect skin. "Oh, God..." she murmured.

Then it happened.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Sora fell back against the wall and this sickening, almost deafening sound erupted throughout the classroom. Sora squeezed his eyes shut and bit back a cry, a muffled moan came out instead. Then there was another bang as Riku's fist met with Sora's nose. And Sora fell limp.

"SORA!"

**E**n_d_**o**_f_**C**hapte_r_

an: well, poop, that sucked. that must be the suckiest thing i ever did write. 'part from some other crap somewhere. but this is like the suckiest chapter there is. meh.


	9. C9: i feel terrible

_Once You've Moved_

_Chapter 9_

_I Feel Terrible_

"Kairi, I still don't get it." Kairi looked up from scuffing her shoes on the pavement. "Why did you do it? What exactly was it that made you do it?"

"It was Naminé, wasn't it?" Her reply was steady. "I don't think I'd ever want to do something like this... You remember when Riku punched Sora?" Axel nodded. "Well... it was then I was kinda trapped. 'Cause I realised that I liked Sora – as a friend, as maybe more than a friend. I realised that I cared for him and that... I dunno. But I was so worried about him – I thought that maybe he would, I dunno, _die_ or something crazy like that!" She laughed. "Little did I know that they did that all the time."

Axel sighed, "Kairi, Kairi, Kairi." He laughed. "But, god, how could you even do it? I just... I can't even imagine you doing that."

Kairi stopped walking, her face straight and white. "I didn't think... I wasn't thinking."

"You never think though." Kairi caught up with him, and promptly smacked him on the arm.

"I feel terrible though, you know."

"I know."

Kairi pondered. Where did it all begin? Did it begin when Naminé told her about the deal? ...No, that happened far after the start. Maybe it happened when she realised that Sora was a friend. Maybe. But in truth, she thought it was when she came back – no, when she left. When she left Destiny Islands, when she left Hollow Bastion? She didn't know. Either. Both. She was happy at both places. Maybe it would have been better if she had just stayed in Hollow Bastion.

Well, it was called Radiant Garden now. And apparently the castle was completely restored and they had found strange plans and blueprints in the basement, along with an office and a huge testing room. Kairi wished she could have been there when they uncovered that.

She was just waiting for the call that told her who the guy who built it all was.

Axel's fingers snapped in front of her face. "Huh?"

"Drifting off there, dearie," he laughed. She smiled.

"I miss this," she said, clutching Axel's arm. Axel patted her head with his free arm.

"Well, that's nice an' all but if you hold me any tighter than that, I'll get gangrene when the blood supply gets cut off," he smirked. "Don't wanna go round manslaughterin' more people now, do you?" Kairi giggled.

"That's not a very nice thing to say."

"I know, so I'm _terribly_ sorry so I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Hm, how about ice cream?" She looked up at Axel and batted her eyelids. No doubt people were staring at her as they entered the park but she didn't care.

Axel laughed, saying: "You've already taken so much from me, and now you want my money to pay for your ice cream, too!" Kairi nodded. "Alright, alright."

Kairi smiled. _Yeah, it is._

Then she remembered, "Oh! Axel, I'm sorry but I-I have to do something! I have to do something right now!"

Axel shrugged. "You know where I'll be waiting." He pointed at a bench and sat on it.

"Thank youuu!" Kairi called as she ran off.

.x.x.X..x.

an: sorry it's so short, i really am x3 but this was hard considering i had NO REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER :O & it actually was hard to write thinking of that. hm, anyhoo, i will try and update more often this time. i really will ;3 hope you enjoyed it - review! ...this time ¬.¬


	10. C10: this is exactly what you wanted

_Once You've Moved_

_Chapter 10_

_This is exactly what you wanted_

Kairi bit her lip – hard. She had never felt this way before and Naminé wasn't helping: just sitting there like she owned the world, no doubt drawing more pictures of Roxas or whoever it was this time burning in the fiery pits of Hades. She stared at where Sora lay, moaning and clutching his head. Riku smirked.

"Idiot," he said.

Blood trickled down Sora's face as he looked up at Kairi. He shot her a hurt look before rushing off to the bathrooms.

"Sounds to me like that was a plan gone wrong," said Naminé.

The funny thing was, it wasn't. But then when Kairi thought about it hard. It was. Because she was worried – she was worried that Sora was really hurt, that he wouldn't get back up. And she was so lost in her worry that she couldn't even spit out what she wanted to tell Naminé. What did she want to tell Naminé again? She wanted to say that...

"Ah..." Kairi failed miserably. She sat down hard. She had unknowingly stood up after shouting Sora's name. "What have I done?" she mumbled, unaware of Naminé's prying ears. "I'm going now," she stated. Naminé almost laughed out loud.

"You go, Kairi," she said, adding a stroke of red to the page. "You go."

- - -

"Roxas, I'm sososososo sorry. Please forgive me."

The mirror looked back at her with equally deplorable eyes and face. She threw a fist at the counter. "Urgh." Kairi wasn't cut out for it, she couldn't pull an apology off. She had too much pride – and besides, it was Roxas' fault to begin with, wasn't it?

As she left the bathroom, she passed Olette.

And remembered stage 2 of her plan. She grinned. She could still wrap it up, she had only failed one stage, only one. There were another three left and they would still work. She had failed in getting Naminé to be her best friend again but she could figure another way to do that soon.

Now, for stage OletteHayner.

- - -

"Hey, Hayner," she said. Hayner shook his head.

"No, Kairi," he replied. "Just leave me alone." Kairi put on her best sad face.

"But, Hayner, I-I hoped we could be friends... I thought we could forget about the past and... and _move on_, you know?" She smiled sadly, she hoped this would work. "Don't-Don't you want to be friends?"

Hayner snorted, "Not with you. I'd rather be friends with Seifer than let you near me."

_Seifer? Is that that kid who's always beating people up?_ wondered Kairi. She wondered if maybe she could use him somehow... It didn't take long for her to come up with a solution.

- - -

"Hey, Ollie."

Olette's head whirled round so fast, it sounded like a whip crack. "Don't," she said. "Don't call me that."

Kairi raised her eyebrows. "Sorry, that's just what I used to call you... I just assumed that-"

"Well, don't assume _anything_, Kairi!" Olette's voice was getting higher and higher pitched as Kairi backed away, almost losing face. "Just because you left us all here and decided to flounce off with your new friends and your new town and your new... everything!" By this point, Olette's cheeks were burning bright red and her shiny brown hair had fallen even more out of place than usual, flicks flying everywhere around her face.

Kairi squeaked a little, cowering by one of the sinks of the bathroom they were in.

Olette suddenly calmed down and looked at Kairi as though disappointed. Then through clenched teeth, she muttered, "You should leave again – then you might stop ruining everything for once."

And with that, Olette flew from the room.

Kairi held a shaking hand to her chest and she turned to the sink. What was wrong with her? All she wanted was some friends... and what sort of measures was she going to to get them? She had been using Sora like some sort of chew toy, and Axel and Roxas were, well, not exactly on speaking terms with her anymore, what with her fabulous plan of ignoring them for a month. How could she be so _stupid_?

"Argh!" She screamed to herself and slammed her palms onto the sink's rim. But she couldn't back down now. She hadn't known how Olette was going to react to her, but she sensed that there were things that Olette had been dying to say to her for a long time. It wasn't pleasant for Kairi to hear all that from someone she'd once known as a friend. The shouting had hurt Kairi in a way she hadn't expected – but it wasn't just that... it was the angry disappointment Olette obviously felt for Kairi.

"_you might stop ruining everything for once."_

Kairi choked back a sob, and just as she did, a cubicle behind her creaked open, and there was Naminé, looking as evil and calculating as ever. Kairi brushed a forearm across her cheeks and turned round.

"Hey, Nami," she said. Her throat felt too tight, as though there was a rubber ball trying to make it's way up. "Hey, Nami," she said again, hoping to free the rubber ball. It started disappearing as she felt stronger. "What... What are you doing here?"

"What do you expect me to do in a bathroom?" asked Naminé, fiddling with one of the taps, a smirk of glee cutting through her pretty face.

"Well, of course," Kairi said, faking a smile. "Well, I'll be seeing you soon then, I gue-"

"Watch out, _Kai_," Naminé added a horrible twang to the old nickname. "'Cause I know what you're doing. And you're not going to win."

Kairi paused a minute, her whole world rushed away from her as her arms became cold and numb, as though someone had poured ice water over her.

"Um, right," she muttered and left the bathroom.

Dabbing at her eyes with a finger, Kairi entered the hallway and promptly bumped into something fairly large, quite human-shaped and supporting a six-pack. "Yevon," she said. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to... er... hey, Seifer."

Seifer looked down at the short-ish redhead who had just crashed into him, knocking over the girl who'd been occupying right-hand place until now.

"Hey, Seifer, do you think you could do me a favour?"

He suddenly knew who it was. It was that freakish outcast girl who'd started going steady with the other freakish outcast... Sora? He rolled his eyes.

"No, no, seriously, this is one you'll enjoy!" she said.

- - -

When Kairi walked into class after lunch that day, she made sure everyone was in position before sending the signal to Seifer.

Hayner was still eating in his place next to the cupboards at the back of the room, sitting on the table. Olette was talking to some of her friends, Alice and Ella, at the front of the room and Seifer was waiting outside.

Kairi nodded to him and Seifer went straight in, heading for the front of the classroom. There, he quietly pulled Olette away from her friends.

Kairi ruffled her hair up a little and tried a distraught expression.

"Hayner!" she cried, running up to him theatrically. Hayner just turned away from her, mumbling something about leaving him in peace. "Hayner! Hayner, you have to do something! I think Seifer's going to hit Olette!"

Something in Hayner snapped. His head perked up and his eyes flew wide open. "What?" he said suddenly, his sandwich flying through the air as he dropped it mid-arm swing. "Where?"

Kairi bit back her smirks and pointed to where Seifer and Olette appeared to be in a serious argument.

Hayner dashed over there at once and Kairi sat down carefully and watched happily as her plan unfolded.

It only took a few seconds for her to realise that something was wrong... Olette didn't seem pleased with her saviour, in fact she seemed even crosser than before. And Hayner didn't seem too pleased with either of them. Before she knew it, Kairi started seeing fists flying from both blonds and Olette was sidling back to her friends, Hayner-less.

"Well done, Kairi," she said to herself, sarcastically. "Well, done. This is exactly what you wanted."

- - -

**an:** good lord, I know. it's been updated. :0 shockin' news. I have srs doubts that there'll many reviews any more as most of my fans upped and left me a long long long time ago. but hey-ho, here's to hope! :3  
I was such a noob when I first started writing this, it's unbelievable.


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